complete verse (Lamentations 2:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Lamentations 2:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “The elders of Jerusalem are today sitting on the ground
    in silence,
    and they have scattered ashes on the head
    and put on sacks.
    The ears of the girls of Jerusalem have fallen,
    looking down.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The elders of the daughter Zion
    sitting down on the ground in silence.
    They have put dust on their heads and wear sackcloth.
    The young girls of Jerusalem also bowed their heads to the ground.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The elders Zion sit on the ground without talking at-all. They put dust on their heads and they clothed with sackcloth to show their mourning. The young women of Jerusalem are-bowing-down-[their]-head in shame.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The old men of Jerusalem sit on the ground,
    and they say nothing.
    They wear rough sackcloth
    and throw dust on their heads to show that they are sad.
    The young girls of Jerusalem bow down sorrowfully,
    their faces touching the ground.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Lamentations 2:10

There is close parallelism between the first and third units of this verse with their reference to elders and maidens. The reference to old and young and to men and women suggests that all the survivors of Jerusalem are in mourning.

The elders of the daughter of Zion: elders translates the same word used in 1.19, where the elders were associated with priests and were called “leaders, rulers.” Here, however, elders are more appropriately “old men” in contrast to “young women.” For daughter of Zion see 1.6.

To sit on the ground in silence is an action done to show their sadness.

Dust on their heads … sackcloth: the attitude of the old men resembles that of Job’s sorrowing friends as described in Job 2.12. Sackcloth was a coarse type of cloth worn as a sign of mourning and penitence. This was sometimes worn next to the skin, as in the description of the king in 2 Kings 6.30. In some languages it is necessary to state clearly that the purpose of the dust on the head and sackcloth on the body is a sign of mourning in this context; for example, “The old men … have put dust on their heads and coarse cloth on their bodies to show the people they are mourning for the dead.” In some cultures mourners use other symbols for the same purpose; for example “The old men … have painted their bodies because they are mourning for the dead.” Generally it will be preferable to use the Hebrew custom, with a footnote to explain its meaning, or provide the equivalent custom.

The maidens of Jerusalem: see comments on 1.4.

Bowed their heads to the ground is the way these young girls showed their sorrow and distress. In translation it may be necessary to depict these girls as bowing down on their knees so that they can place their foreheads to the ground. Otherwise they may appear like ostriches. For example, “young girls bow down and place their foreheads on the ground.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on Lamentations. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Lamentations 2:10

2:10a The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence.

The old men of Jerusalem sit on the ground and say nothing.
-or-
Zion’s respected old men are silent. They sit on the ground ⌊because they are so sad⌋ .

2:10b They have thrown dust on their heads

They threw dirt on their heads.
-or-
They put powdery dirt on their heads.

2:10c and put on sackcloth.

They wore rough sackcloth.
-or-
They were wearing rough clothes ⌊as a sign of mourning⌋ .

2:10d The young women of Jerusalem

The young girls of Jerusalem (Translation for Translators)
-or-
The girls of Jerusalem

2:10e have bowed their heads to the ground.

bowed down ⌊sorrowfully⌋ , their faces touching the ground.
-or-

⌊sat on their knees and⌋ placed their foreheads on the ground.

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